A Genuine Intersection of Sustainable Farming, Wildlife Conservation and Management

Recovering grey partridges: A genuine intersection of sustainable farming, wildlife conservation and management

Péter Pál HAJAS – Prof. Dr. Sándor FARAGÓ University of Sopron Institute of Wildlife Management and Vertebrate Zoology

33rd IUGB Congress - 14th Perdix Congress 22-25 August 2017 Montpellier - France Status of Grey partridge in Hungary

• Status EU: Unfavourable – declining • Status HU: Critical – declining >98% since 1964 Grey Partridge dynamics in Hungary 1960 - 2013 • 2017 estimate: 12357 individuals • Rapidly growing number of local extinctions • Remaining populations below recovery threshold (2 pairs/km2 on at least 4km2) • Once most emblematic gamebird of Hungarian farmland is facing extinction • Successful demonstration of Hungarian Game Management Database recovery – currently only at the LAJTA Project, all other projects failed for various reasons 33rd IUGB Congress - 14th Perdix Congress 22-25 August 2017 Montpellier - France Pheasant dynamics in Hungary 1960-2013

estimate, harvest, release Hungarian Game Management Database Pheasant dynamics in Hungary 1960-2013

estimate, harvest, release Hungarian Game Management Database BALANCING THE MODEL OF SMALL GAME „THREE LEGGED STOOL„ MANAGEMENT OF POTTS

PROTECTION FROM FOOD SUPPLY PREDATORS

HABITAT The LAJTA Project

• The LAJTA Project (3065 hectares) started in 1992 • Actions to conserve grey partridges focused on habitat development and predator control - due to changes in the legislation, some of the originally applied methods were altered during the project period 33rd IUGB Congress - 14th Perdix Congress 22-25 August 2017 Montpellier - France Increase in scope and activity of the management package applied at the LAJTA Project

• 2014 - employment of a new gamekeeper on 2545 hectares • Intensified predation management based on legal restraining and killing trapping methods • network of hopper feeders and drinkers established • „in field” game cover strips were on 370ha core area • 42 chicks of four bantam reared broods fostered to four barren pairs in 2014 and 2015 • a family group (two adults and 11 juveniles) released in 2015

Network of hopper feeders and drinkers • No partridges released since 2016

33rd IUGB Congress - 14th Perdix Congress 22-25 August 2017 Montpellier - France Releasing for re-introduction Releasing for re-introduction Promoting landscape scale collective approach to recreate farmland habitats Supplementary feeding and providing water Supplementary feeding and providing water Supplementary feeding and providing water Supplementary feeding and providing water Legal control of overabundant generalist predator species

Corvids • Hooded crow (Corvus cornix Linnaus, 1758) • Eurasian magpie (Pica pica Linnaeus, 1758) Mammalian predators (species listed in Annex I of AIHTS highlighted in red) • Red fox (Vulpes vulpes Linnaeus, 1758) • Golden jackal (Canis aureus Linnaeus, 1758) • Badger (Meles meles Linnaeus, 1758) • Stone marten (Martes foina Erxleben, 1777) • Polecat (Mustela putorius Linnaeus, 1758) • Weasel (Mustela nivalis Linnaeus, 1766) • Brown rat (Rattus norvegicus Berkenhout, 1769) • Raccoon (Procyon lotor Linnaeus, 1758)* • Raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides Gray, 1834)* * only occasionally (invasive alien species not yet common)

33rd IUGB Congress - 14th Perdix Congress 22-25 August 2017 Montpellier - France Relevant legal framework for trapping mammals in Europe and the EU

33rd IUGB Congress - 14th Perdix Congress 22-25 August 2017 Montpellier - France Introduction of new traps and trapping methods

© Péter Pál HAJAS Testing of restraining traps to International Humane Trapping Standards • Conventional field testing, following trap testing procedures and protocol of Canadian competent authorities Partners • Forestry and Wildlife Mangement Commission of the Hungarian Scientific Academy • University of Sopron Institute of Wildlife Management and Vertebrate Zoology • Hungarian Trappers’ Association • Central Agricultural Office Veterinary Diagnostic Institute • Hortobágy National Park

33rd IUGB Congress - 14th Perdix Congress 22-25 August 2017 Montpellier - France Testing of restraining traps to International Humane Trapping Standards • Conventional field testing, following trap testing procedures and protocol of Canadian competent authorities Partners • Forestry and Wildlife Mangement Commission of the Hungarian Scientific Academy • University of Sopron Institute of Wildlife Management and Vertebrate Zoology • Hungarian Trappers’ Association • Central Agricultural Office Veterinary Diagnostic Institute • Hortobágy National Park

33rd IUGB Congress - 14th Perdix Congress 22-25 August 2017 Montpellier - France © Bence DEMÉNY Intial boost in Grey patridge pairs as a result of predator removal at the LAJTA Project, Hungary (2014-2015)

33rd IUGB Congress - 14th Perdix Congress 22-25 August 2017 Montpellier - France Five fold increase by 2017 - 59 pairs counted

33rd IUGB Congress - 14th Perdix Congress 22-25 August 2017 Montpellier - France Other species benefiting

Censuses of birds of prey by Kovács, et al. (2015) indicate no change in the large nesting population of marsh harriers (Circus aeruginosus), and common buzzards (Buteo buteo), while the sighting frequency of overwintering hen harriers (Cricus cyaneus) and rough-legged buzzards (Buteo lagopus) is four to eight times higher than the national average calculated by Szép, et al. (2012). Thank you for your kind attention!

33rd IUGB Congress - 14th Perdix Congress 22-25 August 2017 Montpellier - France